Barytherium

Barytherium
Temporal range: Late Eocene–Early Oligocene
molar tooth of B. grave at Senckenberg Museum of Frankfurt
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Proboscidea
Family: †Barytheriidae
Genus: †Barytherium
C.W. Andrews, 1901
Type species
†Barytherium grave
C.W. Andrews, 1901
Species
  • †B. grave
  • †B. omansi

Barytherium (meaning "heavy beast") is a genus of an extinct family (Barytheriidae) of primitive proboscideans that lived during the late Eocene and early Oligocene in North Africa. The type species is Barytherium grave, found at the beginning of the 20th century in Fayum, Egypt.[1] Since then, more complete specimens have been found at Dor el Talha, Libya. More fossils were also discovered in 2011 in the Aidum area in Dhofar by Oman's Ministry of Heritage and Culture, which was named Barytherium omansi.[2]

  1. ^ Andrews, C.W. 1901. Über das Vorkommen von Proboscidiern in untertertiären Ablagerungen Aegyptens. Tageblatt des V Internationalen Zoologischen Kongresses, Berlin 6: 4–5.
  2. ^ "Bones of Elephant Ancestors Found" Archived August 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, The Omani Observer, May 22, 2011, retrieved May 22, 2011.